I have a yellow tint to my water.I do my regular water changes and maintain the tank to the best of my abality. Is there any chemical i can use to clean the water to make it sparking clear without hurting the corals and fish.I no that carbon polishes the water but i heard not to use it too much.
Water clarity
- Thread starter Bagz
- Start date
lamarine23
New member
I run carbon 24/7.....it allows for mistakes to happen.
spoon671
New member
Here is what I use. Carbon 24/7 in the bottom tray of the trickle portion of my wet/dry filtration. I use 50 micron filter pads with a coarse filter pad on top of that (to trap larger debris). In the pictures below, you will see how much crap the 50 micron pads take out of my tank. Mind you, the pad looks like this after only 2 days of operation. Consequently, I am forced to change the filter pads up to 3 times weekly, which is a small price to pay considering my crystal clear water. You can get the pads here -->50 Micron Filter Pads.
Good luck and I hope this helps.
Good luck and I hope this helps.
marilynrn711
Premium Member
I get the same results using a 50 micron filter sock. I have no trickle filter.
PatMayo
New member
So I take it copapods-ampipods are of no concern to you folks?
Seems to me that those pads will take out beneficial organisms that your tank/critters could use. I see the same situation with filter socks.
So what is the real story? As I understand it these critters are GOOD for a SW tank and in fact help to keep it balanced and the dietrius out of the system.
Regards,
Pat
Seems to me that those pads will take out beneficial organisms that your tank/critters could use. I see the same situation with filter socks.
So what is the real story? As I understand it these critters are GOOD for a SW tank and in fact help to keep it balanced and the dietrius out of the system.
Regards,
Pat
Fast Fred
New member
Spoon,
I have a whole DIY article in my gallery that I wrote and it is attached to one of the pictures of my DIY trickle filter. It's on Page 2 of my gallery. I got the idea from a commercially made filter system, and I altered it to suit my needs. The commercail model was something in the neighborhood of $175. I made mine for under $20.
Since writing that article, I've changed skimmers. The new one wasn't going to work the way the old one did as far as feeding the filter. I have 2 overflows in my 125g. I made 1 of them flow directly into the top of the trickle filter. It handles about 400gph the way I have it now.
I have a whole DIY article in my gallery that I wrote and it is attached to one of the pictures of my DIY trickle filter. It's on Page 2 of my gallery. I got the idea from a commercially made filter system, and I altered it to suit my needs. The commercail model was something in the neighborhood of $175. I made mine for under $20.
Since writing that article, I've changed skimmers. The new one wasn't going to work the way the old one did as far as feeding the filter. I have 2 overflows in my 125g. I made 1 of them flow directly into the top of the trickle filter. It handles about 400gph the way I have it now.
bjonesjr1
Premium Member
Very nice with what you have done, I checked out your gallery and read you DIY, I am one to come up with things that will work just as well as commerical products. Thats very cool with what you have done with your filtration, I'm thinking about buying those 50 micron filter pads from above to add to my carbon that I'm already running, Looking to clear things up alittle...
Fast Fred
New member
Thanks Bobby!
One important key that I've learned since writing that...Don't leave the carbon in longer than it's expected life cycle. You don't want it to become a means of bio-filtration. Bio-balls are nitrate factories, and carbon can do the same thing. I leave the carbon in for no more than a month, then replace it with new. After a month it's spent anyway.
One important key that I've learned since writing that...Don't leave the carbon in longer than it's expected life cycle. You don't want it to become a means of bio-filtration. Bio-balls are nitrate factories, and carbon can do the same thing. I leave the carbon in for no more than a month, then replace it with new. After a month it's spent anyway.
bjonesjr1
Premium Member
Yea I always changed out the carbon in my tank anywhere from 2-3 weeks, sometimes 4... But I find that the carbon helps alot and I'm trying to also come up with some other things to add to my filtration to help with the clarity of the water, Going to look into these micron pads to see if that will help out... But nice tank by the way, Still in the process of getting mine set up completly. Check out my little red house for the progress on my tank if you want... try to post pictures all the time to update it from start to finish.
Fast Fred
New member
With the three trays, it's easy to change from carbon to PhosBan or both even. Years ago, on a different tank, i tried using 50 micron felt, but like Spoon said, it clogs in 2-3 days. I feel I get almost the same results as far as clarity goes by using 100 micron, but I only have to change it about once a week.
Nice looking tank BTW, Bobby. You may want to look into addind some more live rock though. That will also help with water quality.
Here's some more current pic of mine if you care to look.
http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c346/FlippinByrds/Reef Tank/
Nice looking tank BTW, Bobby. You may want to look into addind some more live rock though. That will also help with water quality.
Here's some more current pic of mine if you care to look.
http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c346/FlippinByrds/Reef Tank/
Fast Fred
New member
I've used pads even before I owned a skimmer, and have never tried running a tank without a filter pad since I started 15 years ago. However, I do notice that skimmer production falls off for an hour or two immediately after I install a new pad. Same with when I put fresh carbon in the system. But after a couple hours, everything is back to normal.
As far as pods go, I have a six-line wrass in my display. I haven't seen a pod in there that he hasn't seen first and eaten. I do have a fair amount of pods in my refugium though.
The way I'm set up, one overflow from the tank dumps directly into the fuge, then spills into the return pump/skimmer area. The other overflow gets filtered through felt and carbon and then into the sump area. I change the filter pad about once a week, and there is very little life in the filter felt - maybe a small snail or small starfish, and the occasional pod. So to answer your question Pat, I don't think the filter felt has much to do with the amount of pods I have.
As far as pods go, I have a six-line wrass in my display. I haven't seen a pod in there that he hasn't seen first and eaten. I do have a fair amount of pods in my refugium though.
The way I'm set up, one overflow from the tank dumps directly into the fuge, then spills into the return pump/skimmer area. The other overflow gets filtered through felt and carbon and then into the sump area. I change the filter pad about once a week, and there is very little life in the filter felt - maybe a small snail or small starfish, and the occasional pod. So to answer your question Pat, I don't think the filter felt has much to do with the amount of pods I have.
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